as in shiver
an instance of shaking involuntarily with fear or cold
a shudder ran through him as he stepped outside into the snow
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in to shake
to make a series of small irregular or violent movements
huddled in the basement, we shuddered with fear as we heard the approaching tornado
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shudder
Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 7 Jan. 2026
The notion would make most of the longstanding brands in Place Vendôme shudder but Guy-Raffin is quick to shrug off concerns.
—Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 14 Nov. 2025
Literary Hub, 9 Feb. 2026
Williams thinks enough of himself to be himself, to keep his nails painted, to mimic crowning himself like LeBron James after big plays at USC, to graduate to his current too-cool-for-you celebratory shudder; the Iceman cometh, the Iceman runneth over.
—Mirjam Swanson, Oc Register, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shudder
Noun
But as the season progressed, the [shudders] discourse really went off the rails.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 7 Jan. 2026
The notion would make most of the longstanding brands in Place Vendôme shudder but Guy-Raffin is quick to shrug off concerns.
—Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 14 Nov. 2025
Verb
Her body shuddered in a wave of tremors.
—Literary Hub, 9 Feb. 2026
Williams thinks enough of himself to be himself, to keep his nails painted, to mimic crowning himself like LeBron James after big plays at USC, to graduate to his current too-cool-for-you celebratory shudder; the Iceman cometh, the Iceman runneth over.
—Mirjam Swanson, Oc Register, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shudder
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shudder
Noun
-
Algebra in between scenes… sends shivers down my spine!—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Their accounts gave me shivers of recognition—their experiences echoed my father’s stories.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
And every summer Wenger seemed to shake his head and buy more young creative types instead.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Morgan's abduction and killing shook Bowling Green, but in some ways, brought it closer together.—
Monroe Trombly,
Louisville Courier Journal,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Furman is one of a kind: a trans, devoutly Jewish former rabbinical student who’s written a book about Lou Reed and sings folk-punk songs in a mercurial tremble.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
22 May 2025
-
Valeria leaves guard duties to Ellen, a grandmother with a constant tremble in her hands from her MS.—
James Grebey,
Vulture,
17 Oct. 2024
Verb
-
Video of the collision shows the train jerking from side-to-side.—
Sara Gregory,
AJC.com,
26 Feb. 2026
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Merchants are aware that prices of metals could backtrack or keep jerking upward.—
Roxana Popescu,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The mesmerizing evolution reaches its peak when a quivering guitar solo jettisons into view.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
26 Feb. 2026
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Few things shake the confidence of a person like crawling to the top bunk of a quivering bed frame, your feet wrapping uncomfortably along the frail metal rungs of the ladder.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Gentle formulas usually work best with a vibrating skin brush — or any skin cleansing tool, for that matter.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Feb. 2026
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Air vibrates the tissues in the voice box while an area just above contracts, leaving a small opening for the whistle to escape.—
Adithi Ramakrishnan,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shudder.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shudder. Accessed 3 Mar. 2026.
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